Fremont residents, want an OHV park?

[The Deanster]

With San Jose being stubborn in allowing a zero emission electric OHV park, other locations are being explored including on some unused industrial land in Fremont.

Some in the city think it's a good idea. One in particular hates the idea and I suspect off-road recreation in general. "No one has EVER asked for this type of park in Fremont".

No kidding, nobody thought it was possible with the bias against OHV but now electric bikes don't make noise or exhaust so they can go in urban areas. I doubt he knows about the Baylands Raceway that was in Fremont with motocross and flat tracks.

So, anyone in Fremont think it would be a good idea to have a small park where you could bring your own or rent a bike?

 

[Whammy]

why not?

Baylands would be a great place.
But it is by the bay... one of the reasons Fremont Raceway was closed in the first place.
You know what the 'land abusers" will say.
Barn owls and creeping tortoise's will come into play, or some ice plant that's only indigenous to the area.
But I'm for rolling a electro bike in the dirt.
Ever since I test drove a Zero...:teeth its a nice toy!

 

[vizcarmb]

Not sure where you would put it, but Fremont as a population has exponentially grown. Kids cant even attend their own home school because of overcrowding.

The last thing Fremont needs is a place to ride because of over development and people complaining why wont they build more housing instead of an OHV park. There is always those 2 sides

My best place to put it is near the smelly dumbassbarton bridge

 

[Maddevill]

Baylands would be a great place.
But it is by the bay... one of the reasons Fremont Raceway was closed in the first place.
You know what the 'land abusers" will say.
Barn owls and creeping tortoise's will come into play, or some ice plant that's only indigenous to the area.
But I'm for rolling a electro bike in the dirt.
Ever since I test drove a Zero...:teeth its a nice toy!

Baylands was the busiest raceway on the west coast. Drags, dirt track, motocross etc. The reason it closed had nothing to do with the bay or newts. They said the Automall HAD to go there. Then they built the thing2 miles west of the track! I think it would get a lot if use but I doubt it will ever get done. Sadly...

 

[Whammy]

They said...

Baylands was the busiest raceway on the west coast. Drags, dirt track, motocross etc. The reason it closed had nothing to do with the bay or newts. They said the Automall HAD to go there. Then they built the thing2 miles west of the track! I think it would get a lot if use but I doubt it will ever get done. Sadly...

That's what they told the public.
The land was be grabbed to restore wetlands, and to build the automall.
Where did the build the automall??? you are correct west of the track.
Made no sense whatsoever.
Originally the land was owned by the navy and they had an airstrip out there.
In the 70/80's was home to a glider community.
For those who have been here forever, I remember seeing gliders in the air all day everyday over the Mission Blvd hill areas.

Homes were built in the hills and the gliders went away.

I grew up out there riding dirt bikes and enjoying dirt track racing.
NHRA had an annual event on their schedule there as well.
Wednesday Grudge nights was a good place for kids to go drag their cars legally. I know I did.

 

[The Deanster]

I lived at my mom's at one of the mobile home park near Alviso in the 80's. You could hear the dragsters at Baylands quite loudly across the bay. I never did make it over there but it sounded fun I didn't know they had tracks for bikes. We just went out riding in fields around the area and on the levees.

I'm keeping the location quiet for now but it's zoned industrial and not appropriate for housing anyway.

This would be a huge battle. It was encouraging at first but then I got an almost hate mail from the one guy. It would take 3 Councilmembers to overrule the staff recommendation of dirtbikes are evil.

Anyone else with stories from Baylands? It sucks they shut it down. There's still land next to Pacific Commons but I'm sure they want to make mega millions from developers for it. I was told that the rest of the land is off-limits because of fairy shrimp. I used to not even believe in the fairy shrimp :dunno

 

[Whammy]

what next

Fairy shrimp, ground owls, newts, reticulated gopher snakes, indigenous ice plants.

Ohlone Indians could claim the land again, it was theirs to begin with.
Fossils of fossils, cant wait to hear what else would stop a venue like this.

At Fremont they had two dirt tracks including figure 8 track.
Figure 8 racing was a blast to watch, some drivers would creep through, some would just go for broke fly right through.
Occasionally there would be a nice Tbone.
If memory serves me there would be a crowd donated fund for a roll over.
If a racers car rolled completely over you'd get the pot.
Those were the good ol days.:thumbup
So many memories I could write all night.

 

[Maddevill]

Best dirt bike race at Baylands was the annual Grand Prix. You went around the motocross track, up the dragstrip, back down the dragstrip,( many siezures happened there,) across the parking lot, into and around the dirt oval, and back to the motocross track. Super fun day for all.

 

[The Deanster]

Someone voted no :wtf We have a mole :x

Wherever a park like this may happen it would restore destroyed industrial land to nature and provide habitat and species stewardship. A tiny piece of industrial land will be saved from potential development in this case and would preserve the land wherever it may end up.